


let's make promises that we can keep and call it a New Year's resolution

by faintingviolet



Series: Buddiemas 2020 Prompts [10]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Buddiemas 2020 (9-1-1 TV), And a Curious Soul, Christmas Fluff, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Resolutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28251978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faintingviolet/pseuds/faintingviolet
Summary: Christopher is obsessed with New Year's Resolutions. Eddie doesn't make them.Chris starts keeping a running list of options on his desk, ranging from the ordinary I’ll make my bed everyday which he already did about 90% of the time, to the more outlandish such as Trying every flavor of ice cream ever. Chris’s fixation turns into him asking everyone they see between Christmas and New Year’s what their resolution is going to be.(December 20 - New Year's resolutions)
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddiemas 2020 Prompts [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057301
Comments: 12
Kudos: 107
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales, Buddiemas 2020





	let's make promises that we can keep and call it a New Year's resolution

Eddie doesn’t do New Year’s resolutions; he’s always thought they were a bit silly. What did it matter what you promised yourself on New Year’s Day? It was better to make goals when they came to you, give yourself an honest shot at achieving them.

But Christopher was obsessed with them this year. He started keeping a running list of options on his desk, ranging from the ordinary _I’ll make my bed everyday_ which he already did about 90% of the time, to the more outlandish such as _Trying every flavor of ice cream ever_. Eddie had his worries about that last one, mostly about the sheer amount of sugar that would mean Christopher would want to consume but also how were they supposed to track down every ice cream flavor? He decided he would make it Buck’s problem if that turned out to be the winning resolution.

Chris’s fixation turns into him asking everyone they see between Christmas and New Year’s what their resolution is going to be. Eddie demurs when Chris asks him, tells him he doesn’t plan on making one. Christopher is not impressed and wants to know what Eddie’s options are, and would he like to make a list like his. Eddie pivots the conversation catching the laugh that Buck is trying to contain and sends Christopher his way to stop the barrage of questions and suggestions coming from his son.

Buck sends him a _you’ll have to do better than that to throw me off my game_ face and hunkers down with Christopher on the other side of the house to talk in hushed tones about their resolutions. From that point on neither will tell Eddie what their resolutions are, or what they’re thinking about. Christopher’s list disappears from his desk.

But even though Christopher has decided he’s no longer talking to his father about resolutions informing him when asked “ _because you aren’t doing it, Dad_ ,” he asks Isabel and Pepa about theirs at dinner. Eddie is surprised to hear his grandmother say very seriously that each year she makes the same resolution, but that its her resolution and she’d prefer not to say. Christopher blinks, processing the idea that a resolution might be something private and nods solemnly letting his great grandmother know he understands. Eddie is impressed with how maturely Chris responds, and wonders if he should have just phrased it that way when Chris asked him, save himself some exasperated looks. Pepa announces that she’ll share hers – she’s planning to learn how to play piano. She has a keyboard that she had bought for the kids years ago and instead of getting rid of it she’s going to try this next year to learn herself. If she does, great, if not then she’ll find it a good home. Christopher smiles bright and tells his great aunt he can’t wait to hear her play when she’s ready to share.

Christopher comes home from an afternoon with Denny and Harry full of information. Apparently, the boys were planning on resolutions around video games and Christopher didn’t like that idea for himself but told Eddie he thought that it didn’t matter if he liked the idea, just that the person did. Eddie was suitably impressed with this level of insight; he could admit that he wasn’t nearly as open-minded about it as Chris. They had gone to the movies with Michael and his boyfriend as well as Hen and Karen and when asked Chris said theirs were all about making healthy choices – Michael wanted to run a half marathon and Karen wanted to try a new fruit or vegetable every week and was making Hen do it with her. Eddie thought those both sounded fine, but Chris scrunched his nose up at them.

The next day Eddie overhears Carla and Chris talking quietly at the table when he walks in from shift. Eddie immediately gleans that Chris has brought up the topic and Carla is handling it in her usual Carla way.

“Why do you want to know, kiddo?”

“Well, first I was looking for ideas for me, but now I just like hearing what everyone thinks is important.”

“Oh, and you think resolutions are important?”

“Yeah, it’s a promise you’re making to yourself for a whole year. That’s important.”

Eddie remains impressed with how thoughtful his kid is, announcing his arrival home before Carla has a chance to answer, and he thinks she looks a little relieved.

Chris talks to Maddie and Chim when Buck calls them later that week, firming up plans for the New Year’s Eve party Athena and Bobby are planning to host. Eddie can hear in how Chris asks the question that he’s changed his approach based on the other answers he’s gotten.

“Aunt Maddie, can I ask you what your New Year’s resolution is? I know that not everyone likes to share but I think they’re fun.”

“Oh, I don’t mind Chris. I think it’s nice that you care. I tell you what though, mine’s been pretty boring the last two years since I became a mom – my resolution is to do the best job I can at that because it’s the most important thing to me.”

“I think it’s working because you’re a great mom.”

Eddie hears the small gasp and sigh coming from the Buck’s phone without having to see Maddie’s face on the screen. His own eyes are a bit watery so he’s a little glad they can’t see him either. Chim steps in to get the conversation moving again, knowing Maddie, and Buck, well enough to know that they’re both just going to stare at Chris adoringly if no one talks.

“What about me Chris, do you want to know what I’m planning?”

“Is it a silly one or a real one?”

Eddie’s slid in next to Buck and Chris on the couch so he can see the screen and gently nods to Chim in greeting, knowing that Chim is fully capable of handling Chris’s slightly mischievous tone.

“Does it matter?” he answers with his eyebrow up.

Chris’s tone immediately goes back to warm, “No. I just want to know.”

Chim tilts his head to the side like he does when he’s thinking seriously about something, and Eddie is a little caught out by that. He figured Chim had an answer ready to go when he asked Chris. Maybe he didn’t.

“You know me too well kid. I do have a silly one and a real one. I can’t tell you the silly one, it’s a surprise. But the real one I do every year is pick someone and make sure I talk to them every week. Like on the phone. Last year it was Albert, I think he hated it since I wouldn’t tell him why I couldn’t just text him, but he answered. This year its going to be Hen since she isn’t at the firehouse with us as much and I miss her.”

Buck leans back on the couch next to Eddie, his mouth open.

“It was me in 2018 wasn’t it, Chim.”

“Yep Buckaroo.”

Eddie watches as they both nod at each other, an understanding passing between them, and Eddie can see from the outside that those calls meant a lot to Buck and had obviously helped cement the friendship that existed before Chim and Maddie got together.

“I like this idea, of asking everyone if they want to share, Chris. Thank you.” Leave it to Maddie to know how to wrap up an emotional moment in a tidy bow, giving the men in her life an out. Eddie smiles his agreement, ruffling Chris’s hair

It isn’t until the party on New Year’s Eve that Chris gets to ask Bobby, Athena, and May what their resolutions are. Eddie isn’t there for the conversation, Chris is old enough not to need his dad with him all the time, had been for a number of years already. But he can tell from across the yard when Chris asks because Athena leans over and hugs Chris to herself. She and Bobby answer him seriously, taking the time to really talk to Chris about it. Part of Eddie feels guilty that he had brushed Chris off when he asked the week before, and the rest of the adults in his life had taken the time to answer him thoughtfully.

He feels Buck slide in next to him before he hears him, feels his fingers intertwine with his own before he tunes in to what Buck is saying.

“What’s that look for, Eds?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about how everyone’s really taken the time to answer Chris.”

“Hmmm. Feeling guilty for not having an answer?”

“I didn’t think about it really, I don’t make them.”

“Did you tell him why you don’t make resolutions? I mean, I’m pretty sure I know but I’m not 11.”

“You sure?” Eddie leans in for a kiss to lessen the sting of the jab, which he knows Buck knows has no actual intent behind it, but this is part of their routine at this point. “I like goals, but New Year’s just feels arbitrary.”

“I know. I’ve seen the post-its on the mirror the past couple years.”

Eddie just lifts an eyebrow and nods. The post-its are where his goals and reminders live, but they are just words, not even sentences or complete thoughts. He hadn’t really thought about the fact that Buck had probably pieced it together long before now.

“You should tell him. He was telling Maddie the truth; he’s asking at this point because he thinks finding out what everyone thinks is important is fun. He always wants to know what’s important to you.”

Eddie just nods, squeezes Buck’s hand in his own. 

They make their way home well before midnight, but Chris asks to stay up until then, to watch the ball drop. Eddie agrees, and is only surprised a little that it looks like Chris is actually going to make it. Before the ball drops Eddie asks Chris to follow Eddie to his own room.

“Sure dad, why?”

“I want to show you something.”

Its Buck’s turn to nod, aware that Eddie has decided now’s the time to explain the post-its' on the mirror to his son. “You guys have 10 minutes before they start the countdown,” his only contribution.

Eddie sits on the end of the bed, patting the spot next for him for Christopher to do the same.

“Chris, when you asked me about my resolution, I didn’t give you the full answer. I don’t have a resolution because I don’t like the idea of making a goal just at the beginning of the year. I’ve been making mine little by little for a long time.”

“Okay.”

“But goals are important, so I write myself little reminders and put them on the mirror. This is what I do instead of a New Year’s resolution. Make sense?”

“Sure. What are they?”

“They’re all different things, some probably wouldn’t make much sense to anyone but me,” Eddie sees that Chris deflates a little at that answer and presses on, “but you see that blue one up on the top left corner?”

“Yes.”

“That one says _ask more questions_.”

“How come?”

“It started as a reminder to really ask you about your day when we’re apart, now it’s a reminder that its important to get as much information as possible before making a decision.”

“That makes sense. Can you tell me about another one?”

Eddie scans the nearly dozen notes, some more faded and crinkled than others, some up along the top, some along the side.

“That orange one below the blue one says _say it_.”

“What did you want to remind yourself to say?”

Eddie thinks about how he wanted to phrase this answer, relying on what he and Frank had talked about over the years.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t really learn how to say all the things I feel. So, I have to practice actually saying them out loud as a grownup. That one is a reminder to do that.” It was specifically a reminder to tell Buck he loved him more often, but Eddie thought the more general answer, which was also true, was the better one for Chris right now.

“That’s a good one then. You always tell me to try to find the words. I can tell you too, if you want.”

“Maybe Chris, I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to tell me yours?”

His son bounced against his side, contemplating, and Eddie waited. He’d take either answer, but he wanted to make sure that Chris knew he was interested.

“I have two, actually,” he starts quietly, “the fun one is that Buck and I are going to try a new ice cream flavor each month, but he’s supposed to talk to you about that.”

Eddie just nodded. He could live with that, “Okay, sounds doable. Do you want to tell me the other one too? You don’t have to, it’s up to you.”

Chris smiled, apparently his nerves were ice cream based. “The other one is to listen more. One of my friends told me a couple weeks ago that sometimes I ask a question, but I don’t wait to hear the whole answer. I promised I’d do better with waiting.”

“That sounds like a good resolution. Do you want to put up some post-it notes of your own tomorrow?”

Before Chris can answer in anything but an excited nod Buck is calling them from the other room, its apparently five minutes to midnight and they need to come now to get ready.

After midnight comes and goes and Chris is off to bed, he and Buck are curled up together on the couch, just enjoying the early quiet of the new year.

“When were you planning to tell me about the ice cream resolution?” Eddie whispers into Buck’s ear, partly to ask, partly to see the goosebumps raise on his skin.

“Tomorrow. But I figured Chris might beat me to it. Everything go okay? You both came back smiling so I wasn’t worried.”

“Yeah, I told him about a couple of my post-it notes, and he told me about his resolutions. We’re going to get him set up with his own tomorrow.”

Buck hummed his approval.

“You feel like sharing your resolution, Buck?”

“I’ll put it on a post-it tomorrow.”

The next afternoon they get around to the post-its. Buck hands Christopher the blue stack and takes the yellow for himself. Eddie gets Chris set up with his two, _ice cream_ and _listen first_ are what they decide on as the reminders. Eddie looks over to where Buck’s writing two of his own, but he can’t make it out from that angle. Buck catches him looking and moves his arm to further block Eddie’s view. Eddie just laughs, letting Buck have his fun.

That night before bed he notices the two new notes on the right side of the mirror, across from his own. He smiles at _accept help_ and _be_ _together_.

**Author's Note:**

> This one absolutely decided what it wanted to be all on its own, but Chris wanting to know everyone's resolution felt right. Title from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas's _New Year's Resolution_.
> 
> Up without a beta so all mistakes are absolutely mine. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always welcome!


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